When She's Gone
by angelchild
Summary: Soda has finaly moved on from Sandy and more death when he falls for his best friend. But what happens when she falls ill? I promise the story is better then the summery.
1. Default Chapter

A/N – Hi everyone…I know I have a ton of unfinished stories on here but really it's not my fault! I wrote a lot of chapters to my existing stories but the notebooks they were in got lost somewhere between moving out of the dorms last spring and moving back in this fall. I hate to write anything new until I find them because I know that what I wrote was good. So for the time being, let's try something new.

When She's Gone

I lay with her in my arms, scared. She was so quiet and pale, her skin clammy, her hair wet with sweat. Finally the vomiting and retching had stopped. She was a shadow of the girl who I had fallen in love with, her thin frame emaciated, and her thick red hair dull and thin. Only her smile remained unchanged, when she could muster the energy, or as she slept, peaceful and still.

My name, in case you're wondering is Sodapop Curtis. Her name is Willow and this is her story, our story, the story of those we love. Some of this is unbelievable, some tragic, yet it also contains the memories which will keep me alive and help me to live again after she has left me.

I've known Willow all my life; she was the girl down the street, my best friend. The good girl greaser who didn't carry a blade, she never fought with anyone, she never had to. Everyone loved her, Greasers and Soc's alike. She maintained it was simply because she refused to fight, refused to take sides. But everyone else knows it was much more simple then that. It was simply her sunny disposition and her always ready smile.

Even after her brother was killed by some Soc's, she never faltered in her love of life, even after her father began to beat her…even after…

But I suppose that's as good a place as any to truly start her story, with Pat's death.

A/N – Well here it is…a start back on the right track I suppose. Please review, nice ones only though, flames will be used to toast marshmallows like the good Girl Scout I am.


	2. Chapter 2

When She's Gone – Chapter 2

Patrick was more like us, a bit less like Willow. He carried a blade, and was in rumbles, and he got into the occasional bit of trouble.

When he died it was a blow to us all. We had just begun to heal from the deaths of Johnny and Dally. Willow was over our house watching TV the day we got the news…

"Pony, pass the popcorn." Two-Bit yelled, spilling beer on his shirt as he reached for the bowl.

"Shit Two-Bit, don't spill beer on the couch, Darry'll skin me." Pony said.

"Aw, you know it'll be fine, he's too afraid he'll break you now." Steve said, sounding bitter as usual.

"Poor Steve." Willow said, coming over and flopping down in his lap and planting a kiss on his cheek. "How can we make you happier?"

Steve stood up, letting Willow slid to the floor. "I'm getting another beer." He grumbled heading out to the kitchen.

"Last thing you need." Willow said under her breath. As she hauled herself up off the floor the door opened and Darry walked in, looking twice as tired and grave as he usually did.

"What's wrong?" I asked, getting up off the floor and crossing to meet him. He moved slowly past me, never taking his eyes off Willow as he walked. When he reached her he put his hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eye.

"Willow hunny…" Darry's voice cracked a bit as he spoke. "Pat…got in some trouble last night…" Willow interrupted him.

"What jail is he in? How much is bail?" She said all in one breath, tears already beginning to fall.

"No hunny...they knifed him last night; they found him at the lake this afternoon.

Willow crumpled to the ground, her little body racked with silent sobs, Darry, not being so good with feelings quietly went into the kitchen to start dinner.

Everyone sat and stared at her for a moment, last time anyone had seen her cry had been when she was seven and someone had hit a dog in the street. Some neighborhood kids had been kicking it and throwing stones as it lay in the street. Willow had screamed at them, chased them away. She sat in the middle of the street petting the dog with tears slowly rolling down her face. Of course the dog had died but Willow felt she had made its last moments better. She hadn't even cried when she was 12 and was playing on the roof with Pony, she slipped and fell, breaking her arm. She didn't cry when Pat and I carried and jostled her all the way to the hospital.

Even when Johnny and Dally died, she cried all of 5 minutes that I saw, right after Dally was shot. She rallied quickly for the rest of us, cooking dinners which we didn't eat, always ready with a hug or a kiss, willing to curl up on the couch with you while you grieved. Darry may have the one who was strong, but Willow always was the one who was truly strong, especially when we needed her.

I got up, tears welling in my own eyes; it was our turn to be strong for her. I sat down on the floor and pulled her into my lap. I held her for a long time, stroking her hair and kissing her on the forehead as she cried.

Finally, her sobs were reduced to sniffles. By this time everyone had crept away. Slowly, I pulled back from her and lifted her face so I could see her eyes. "It's going to be ok baby." I said quietly

"No, no it won't." She answered quietly, giving me a weak smile before wrapping me in a hug. I had no idea, that in the long run, she was right.

A/N – Ok, here's another chapter…not sure it came out eh way I wanted it to. I promise willow won't be to perfect, no one should be. I'm just trying to make a contrast between her and your typical greaser. Thanks so much for the wonderful reviews on this and my other stories…I'll be trying to get a chapter up for Home by the end of the weekend!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer – I own nothing and when you combine the current college loans with the future law school loans I will own nothing for a long time to come.

When She's Gone – Chapter 3

She returned later that night after going home to look in on her father. We had hoped she wouldn't come back that night, because we were heading out.

We had lost three of our own in less then 6 months and people were angry and hurting. Buck Merrill who had been close with Pat had called for a rumble tonight to avenge him; we were almost out the door when she walked in.

Willow hated when we went to rumbles, and the look on her face when she saw us all tuffed up in jeans and tight tee-shirts that showed off our muscles was unmistakable. The sadness on her face had been replaced by anger.

"Where are you going?"

"Look willow…" Steve began, but she cut him off quickly.

"No you look Steve!" She said walking further into the room. "I lost my brother today, you didn't. Ya, you lost a friend and I'm sorry, but I lost my brother. And now you assholes are going out to get revenge for him? What if one of you dies tonight? Then I lose two brothers in one night!"

As she yelled she walked foreword into the light of the living room, we saw a shiner on her left eye and her lip was split open and oozing blood.

"Will, what happened?" Two-Bit said coming foreword, reaching out to wipe the blood away.

"Don't fucking touch me!" She screamed, running into mine and Pony's bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

We all stood and looked at each other for a moment, it wasn't often she swore, and I don't think I'd ever heard her use THAT word before. But when she swore you knew she was pissed, and this time seemed to take the cake.

Darry sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Pony, you stay here with Will, the rest of us will still go." For once Pony didn't complain about being left behind, he know he wasn't a good fighter, and that Willow would probably talk to him.

When we left Pony was heading down the hall toward our room.

A/N – Sorry it's been so long, things have been busy. I almost have another chapter ready for home, one more boring con law class and that will be done. I do however have another chapter for this one so if you nice and give me lots of reviews I'll update really quickly! 


	4. Chapter 4

A/N – I know I've been a little lack luster in the updating department but I'm trying to get as much done during my breaks this semester as I can cause I'll be working at camp on the cape all summer cut off from the internet. Please review…I know I don't really deserve it, but show what nice people you are huh?

When She's Gone – Chapter 4

Pony 

When I went into our room I found her curled in a ball on Soda's bed. She was all out of tears now and was crying silently.

I went over and sat on the side of the bed, rubbing her back in slow steady circles, trying my best to comfort her.

Finally the crying stopped and she lay there, sniffling and trying to breath normally again. After a bit she sat up and looked at me, her eye was red and almost swollen shut; her lip had stopped bleeding, but looked red and nasty.

"Will…will you let me clean that up a bit" She nodded silently and slid off the bed, following me into the bathroom, pushing herself up onto the sink. I carefully dabbed at her lip with a wet washcloth, with the blood cleaned away it was red and puffy but we had both seen much worse and this wouldn't require stitches. I went into the kitchen to get her ice pack for her eye and then joined her on the living room couch.

We sat there in silence while I flipped though the channels. "He hit me…" she said so quietly I almost didn't hear her. I turned to face her, imploring her to continue. "I walked into the house and it was in shambles, you now how dad is…was about Pat." She started to tear up again. "He didn't mean to hit me…I just got in the way, I shouldn't have tried to take away the whisky bottle…I thought he was passed out. He only got me two or three times before I got away." She was quiet for a moment. "He's never hit me before Pony, not even when mom died." She chocked up a bit at the thought of her mom but she refused to let the tears fall again.

Not long later we fell asleep on the couch, emotionally and physically exhausted from the day's events.


End file.
